GRANTS

In This Section

Your Application

If you would like to apply for help, you must fill in the Trust’s online application form. When filling in the application form it is very important that you:

Answer the questions as accurately as possible. Where requested provide as much information as possible about your circumstances and why this has resulted in having difficulties paying your bills. Without this information, your application is likely to be assessed as weak and is unlikely to be successful.

Provide all the necessary supporting evidence (detailed in sections 13 and 14 of the application form). Your application cannot be assessed until all your supporting documentation is received.

If you are asking for a grant to clear your energy debt you must:

Provide a copy of a current bill showing actual usage (i.e. not an estimated bill).

Provide a current meter read on the application form, preferably taken on the day you submit your application.

Include details of any hardship within your household.

Tell us how a grant would help stabilise your finances and how you intend to budget better in the future and make payments towards your ongoing usage.

Enclose copies of all necessary supporting documentation - at the end of the form you will be asked to provide specific pieces of evidence.

If you are asking for a Further Assistance Payment (FAP) you must:

Give the complete history of how the need has arisen in Section 10.

Include details of any hardship within your household.

Tell us how the FAP would help.

Enclose copies of all necessary supporting documentation – see guidance notes in Sections 13 and 14 of the application form (assessment of an application cannot start until all evidence has been received).

You can apply by completing the Trust’s online application form.

Difficulty completing your Application?

If you think you may have difficulty in completing the application form, the Trust provides specialist fuel debt advice centres via funded project workers within a number of agencies in England.

In all cases the Trust will acknowledge receipt of an application. If further information is required to assess the application, this will usually be requested at the acknowledgement stage. An applicant is given four weeks to provide the required information. If the applicant does not reply within this time they are sent a reminder letter and given a further two weeks to submit the requested information. If the applicant does not reply within the six weeks granted, their application is closed as we assume they no longer want to apply. If they have difficulty in obtaining the information needed to send to the Trust (for example if they are waiting for information from the DWP) they should let the Trust know before the six weeks is up. The Trust can give them more time to send in what is needed.

If an applicant is asking for help with a gas or electricity debt, we will contact the supplying company so that they can confirm how much the applicant owes.

The Trust’s Decision

The Trust always writes to inform an applicant (or their nominated third party if this is requested in Section 5) if they have been successful or unsuccessful in their application for an award.

If an applicant is successful in obtaining a grant to clear their gas/electricity debts, the Trust writes to inform them (or their nominated third party) of this and a payment is made directly to EDF Energy on their behalf.

Similarly, if an applicant is successful in obtaining a grant to clear other household debts or to purchase essential household items, the Trust will write to inform them (or their nominated third party) and confirm how the award will be paid. This is usually via cheques made out to the supplying company.

If the Trust is unable to help an applicant, the Trust will write to inform them (or their nominated third party).

Applying to the Trust Again

An applicant who receives an award cannot re-apply to the Trust for a period of two years.If an applicant is not successful, they can re-apply to the Trust if their circumstances change.The decision of the Trust is final, and the Trust does not operate an appeals procedure.